The implications of emerging technology on military human performance research priorities

Abstract

Objectives: To demonstrate the need for the military human performance research community to anticipate and evolve with the emergence of new and disruptive battlefield technologies that are changing the fundamental role of the human combatant.

Methods: An international team of military performance researchers drew on relevant literature and their individual national perspectives and experiences to provide an integrated forecast of research priorities and needs based on current trends.

Results: Rapid advances and convergence in fields such as robotics, information technology and artificial intelligence will continue to have a revolutionary impact on the battlefield of the future. The disruption associated with these technologies will most acutely be experienced by the human combatant at the tactical level, with increasing cognitive demands associated with the employment and use of new capabilities. New research priorities may include augmented performance of humans-machine teams, enhanced cognitive and immunological resilience based on exercise neurobiology findings, and psychophysiological stress tolerance developed in realistic but safe synthetic training environments. Solving these challenges will require interdisciplinary research teams that have the capacity to work across the physical, digital and biological boundaries whilst collaborating seamlessly with end-users, human combatants. New research methodologies taking full advantage of sensing technologies will be needed to provide rigorous, evidence-based data in real and near-real world environments. Longer term research goals involving biological manipulation will be shaped by moral, legal and ethical considerations and evolving concepts of what it means to be human.

Conclusion: This paper outlines key recommendations to assist military human performance researchers to adapt their practice in order to match the increasing pace of military modernisation. By anticipating technological change and forecasting possible emerging technologies the military human performance research community can manoeuvre to prioritise research activities today in line with future needs and requirements.

Keywords: Cognitive training and resilience; Human augmentation and enhancement; Military personnel; Technology assessment; Work performance.